Benfry Lancaster
Tyrion Lancaster, known widely by his middle name of Benfry, is an somewhat reclusive, free-spirited young noble from Nimbal. Quick with arcane spells and even quicker with his wit, Benfry is educated, loyal, brave and an invaluable member of the Company. He is the betrothed of Alayne Gray. Personality Tyrion Benfry Lancaster, more commonly known simply as Benfry, is an intelligent, witty and resourceful young man hailing from the Dying Lands of NImbal. Free-spirited and irreverent of tradition to the point of insult, Benfry is nevertheless a good person with a clean soul, despite his manner and his tainted blood. Growing up in Nimbal, Benfry lost his childhood and everything he'd loved was ripped from him. Benfry is a somewhat jaded young man, and can show a bitter side that is far more cynical than any eighteen year old should be. While this has not darkened or hardened Benfry's heart, it has caused him to interact with the world around him in a more pragmatic, realistic way. In his view, the gods aren't going to bail people out. It's up to each individual to figure their own way out of any problem because the only person you can rely on is yourself. While his good nature and gentle spirit have started to show themselves once again since the beginning of his travels, Benfry still retains a very skeptical and bitter point of view, for the most part. He sees the world as a world of grey and an ugly place. Of the entire part, Benfry is the least moved by the beauty of an area and he is the least likely to admire the view. It isn't for a lack of respect for nature; it is due to his perception of the world as an "Us vs. Them" kind of place. Growing up under the tyrannical thumb of his father Titus, the dictator of Stillwater Marsh '''(a province of northern Nimbal), Benfry was raised to believe in honor, viture, chivalry and the tennants of '''Hextor. Titus tried to set the example that only the strong many rule, and it is their duty to conquor the weak and rule over them, as a means of protecting them from not only the darkness of the world but also from themselves. Titus believes that mortalkind is naturally corrupt and dangerous, and that it takes a strong hand to "guide them", like a shepherd tending his flock. Benfry disagrees, believing instead that mortals can take care of themselves given the chance, and they should have the freedom to make decisions for themselves. All in all, Benfry holds no love or respect for the traditions of his family or their religion; he doesn't respect the gods and he shows no respect to any who haven't deserved it. While Benfry cares about people and charity, he despises the nobility and everything it stands for. He is seen as a trouble-maker and a scoundrel by his father. Benfry places a high value on personal freedom. As he grew up in Nimbal, under the oppressive rule of his father, his home was like a strict prison. Benfry's bout with Yellow Mold Fever made this a literal reality, as he rarely was able to leave his room, let alone play outside. That, on top of his father trying to map out his life has caused Benfry to long to make a life for himself, of his own choosing. He constantly raised trouble at home, fighting his father on the treatment of slaves, the necessity of shows of military strength and other "opressive" actions Titus took. Benfyr hates bullies and he hates peopel being oppressed, and when he sees either, he feels compelled to act. Freedom, both personal and spiritual, is very important to him. Benfry is a sorcerer, his blood tainted with the foul aftereffects of a demonic pact made by his forefathers. This enables him to cast spells, granting a variety of benefits: some offensive, others defensive, with some still taking on a more utilitarian purpose. While these powers frightened him when he first discovered them, he eventually came to see the best in his gifts and has been working tirelessly to grow in power and strenghten himself as a spellcaster. Now, magic is becoming a part of him; it's almost as natural as breathing. Surprisingly, despite his slight build and extreme unfamiliarity with martial weapons of any kind, Benfry is actually an effective combatant, even without his magic. Tenacious and smart, Benfry is able to out-think almost any opponent. This, coupled with his speed and refusal to give up in even the direst of circumstances, make Benfry into a shockingly able warrior. Benfry does possess a dark side, however. His temper can sometimes get the best of him, and when angry, he has a hard time controlling his powers, often using dark, necromancy spells without hesitation or remorse. He has a tendency to be ruthless and will often do so if enough rides on his victory. All in all, Benfry is a kind, good young sorcerer with a keen mind and a good heart. History Born on 21 Erythas, 4688 to Count Titus Lancaster and the Contessa Natessa Lancaster, Benfry is the youngest legitimate Lancaster child, third in line to the title and the sixth child (out of 8) overall (conting the bastards). Named after Titus' great-grandfather Tyrion the Basalisk, he was also named after Natessa's own grandfather, Benfry Fassbender. Raised in the court, with a private tutor just as his other legitimate siblings, Benfry was well on his way to lordship and knighthood, as did his other brothers. Titus also briefly considered priesthood--or even Paladinhood--in the church of Hextor for his youngest son, but decided against it. After all, a Paladin or Cleric of Hextor would produce no potential heirs. Benfry was an inquisitive child growing up, always running around the castle grounds, exploring every passageway, turret and nook he could find. He was close to his eldest brother Tytos and was tormented by his other brother, Tiberius. Benfry grew up afraid of Tiberius, and would often hide from his brother for hours at a time. In fact, he spent a great deal of time in the woods surrounding his house in an effort to stay out of Tiberius' way. Sometime during his childhood, Benfry was told by Tiberius that Father Winter was not a jolly fey demigod who gave toys to good children on''' Kalesemas''' as the stories said, but an ice demon who devoured the souls of naughty children. When his father dressed as Father Kalesemas that night, Benfry was so frightened by his brother's stories that he literally soiled himself in terror. As a curious child, Benfry enjoyed going where he shouldn't and one day stumbled into a cave near the outskirts of the estate. Inside, he found a strange yellow mold that he played with. The spores caused him to grow very sick very fast, and he was quickly unable to walk. He lay in the cave for a day before he was found by Sir Joran Black, his family's Knight Protector, who brought him back to the castle. Benfry was treated and his condition stable, but the Yellow Fever rendered him unable to walk without assistance (which meant being carried around by Sir Joran or using crutches). The Fever caused him to quit his martial training altogether, and while he learned courtly manners and history, Benfyr found himself much more interested in the world of books and academia. He was raised after this point almost exclusively by his mother, who doted on him and brought him books almost as fast as he could read them. The two would often engage in literary discussions and would often have long conversations into the night about what Benfry had read. Many of these books detailed old stories, and Benfry would also listen intently to his mother's own tales of heroes of years past. Every night, the two prayed for his condition to get better. It didn't. When he was thirteen, he was sent to see a specialist is Ergon (a Nimbali metropolis) for his Yellow Fever. He stayed in the city a week. On the way back, the cart was hit by a terrible storm before being set upon by a feral Hill Giant.' '''His carriage was tossed about during the attack and ended up in' the Underdark'.' The unit of Knights down there with him did their best to protect Benfry and find a way out, but one by one, the Knights were killed by many of the Underdark's many hazards. In the end, Benfry's fear and desperation awoke something in him and during an unspecified incident several days into the ordeal, he cast his first arcane spells, fending off a group of Dire Rats and enabling his body to walk again. After nine hopeless days in the Underdark, Benfry was found by a group of '''Drow who took him back to the surface, returning him to Titus, who was a "friend of the Drow". When Benfry was fifteen, his mother killed herself with arsenic. Benfry was alone after that and before long, he lost all faith in the gods. His behavior began to grow more defiant, as well, against the man who drove Natessa to suicide. At some point after his mother's death, he was betrothed to a noble-lady from "the east", near the foothills of the World's End Mountains. He refused to participate and went on a tirade against the traditional aristocratic system. After further desecrating an alter to Hextor, Titus stripped him of his title of Viscount and deemed that Benfry was not worthy of a "traditional Lancaster name". It was this incident that caused Benfry to go by that name, instead of Tyrion. In late 4707, Benfry was forced to accompany his family to Ostagar, Rikea to meet Tiberius' betrothed, Alayne Gray. Although reluctant to attend the function, Titus promised Benfry a full-ride to Ergon University should he agree. And thus, Benfry departed for The Deep, toward the meeting that would irrevocably change his life forever. Notable Accomplishments *Departed Ostagar with Alayne, Hector Leaf and Heinrik Fassbender. (S01E01) *Fought the Bloodtusk' Tribe' of Orcs at the Abandoned Fort south of King's Crossing. (S01E02) *Descended the tomb of Aegon Stannis and retrieved his Lost Chalice. (S01E03) *Drove the White Cloaked cult of Tiamat from their Windmill hideout. (S01E07) *Served as Co-Commander alongside Alayne in the Battle of West Hill. (S01E07) *Won the Alabaster Cup (S01E11) *Stopped the Malachite Ring slave trade in the Underdark beneath Victoria. (S01E12) Notable Victories *Sarn (S01E07) Relationships with Others Benfry is generally likeable and agreeable enough, provided you're not a Lancaster, nor a slaver or some other kind of evil person. He does not consider all thieves, bandits or monsters evil, but those who do earn his ire. He is very short, dryly sarcastic and borderline confrontational with those he sees as rude or cruel, especially those in the upper class or nobility. Outside of that, Benfry is quite funny and very witty (if not a bit awkward) and is very friendly, loyal and protective of the poeple he cares about. While the group is still relatively new, Benfry sees its core members as a growing family and as a rule, he trusts his companions. After all, it's no longer a secret that he is a sorcerer, not even from Nolan or the Knight. Th'e Lancaster family '''is a name that Benfry despises. It is a family associated with conquest, domination and cruetly. That, added to its crimes of alliances with the' Grey Lady 'and the '''Rape of Hlondeth' have caused Benfry to be very ashamed of his name and of his family, despite the pride his father and brothers held in the accomplishments. He strives to be free of them once and for all. Alayne Gray is his best friend, his confidant and his one, true love. The gentle girl has awoken something deep in Benfry's heart, something he thought was long gone--his hope. Since meeting Alayne, Benfry has been reminded of all of the beautiful things his mother had promised him existed in the world. To see a girl with such unfailing hope and optimism, and with a soul so pure that she would be willing to marry Tiberius to serve her family showed him a woman who was loyal and selfless to a fault. This, combined with the bravery and tenacity she showed in subsequent days on the road, most notably during the battle with the Orcs early in their travels, caused Benfry to fall deeply, madly and irrevocably in love with her. She inspires him to be a better man and she makes him believe--perhaps foolishly, but he believes nonetheless--that they can change the world for the better. She makes him believe he can do anything. His love for her is all-consuming and he has never been so sure of anything in his life as he is sure that he and Alayne are meant to be with each other. He has never been so happy--personally, physically or spiritually--as he has been since she told him she loved him, too. He feels now like his life is worth something and he is determined to keep his love safe. No matter what the cost. Powers and Abilities Benfry is a sorcerer. This means he has access to a number of extraordinary abilities, in addition to mundane training. *'Arcane Education:' Benfry has done much research into arcane magic, familiarizing himself with all sorts of effects, rituals and lore. This enables him to quickly and accurately identify magical effects in an area. It also helps him counter such effects. *'Arcane Spells:' Benfry is able to intuitively understand and weave arcane potential--esoteric energy that flows through all living things--and shape it into a tangible, magical effect, known as a spell. Benfry's spells range in use from offensive spells, defensive spells and some utility spells. The majority of his spells are from the evocation or necromancy schools of magic. He is a powerful caster for his age, and he seems to be a natural. *'Brave:' Benfry is tenacious and refuses to give up in any situation. He is undaunted in all things. *'Educated:' Having spent much of his life reading, Benfry is very intelligent and well-read. *'Horsemanship:' Benfry has training in how to ride a horse. *'Infernal Blood:' The source of Benfry's magic power. This blood also has the effect of amplifying his dark side and his temper. While it makes him more able to read people, it paradoxically also makes it difficult to empathize with others. It also makes him much more persuasive and bolsters enchantment spells. **'Corrupting Touch:' Benfry can channel demonic power into his very touch, corrupting and draining the life force from what he touches;. this touch can cause plants to wither, animals to recoil in fear and mortals to shudder with uncontrollable, supernatural weakness. *'Jousting:' While he has no formal training, Benfry is apparently a natural jouster. Paraphernelia Benfry carries with him some exceptional gear and other magical equipment, as detailed below. Equipment *'Club:' This club is a reinforced billy club, like those used by some security forces. Benfry lifted the club from an armory from the castle in Stillwater Marsh. He carries it on him at all times and he has proven exceptional in its use. *'Elven Cloak:' Benfry was gifted a beautiful, grey-green cloak from the cleric of Ehlonna. It is not only comfortable in any weather, but also aids him in hiding from eyes he wishes to remain unseen by. *'Pearl of Power:' A small pearl with arcane runes carved into it. This pearl can store a single spell and, when thrown, explodes with magical force provided it's charged. The resulting boom can deafen and injur those in the immediate vicinity. *'Shadow Falconer's Glove:' This long, leather glove is capable of summoning a falcon made entirely of living shadow. Benfry can direct this falcon to scout, disarm, steal or attack. He does not usually wear this glove. *'Signet Ring:' This ring bears the symbol of House Lancaster and is enchanted to protect the wearer from harm. Weaknesses Benfry also possesses some weaknesses that hinder him. *'Jaded:' Benfry's bitter cynicism has caused him to become an unhappy person. *'Temper:' Benfry has something of a temper that can cause him to act cruelly without hesitation, usually in spell usage. Notes *Benfry's play-by actor is Dane DeHaan. *Benfry was not supposed to be a Party member. Instead, he was supposed to simply provide the Company with money and other aid. His chemistry with Alayne in the first game caused him to become a main character. Trivia *Benfry loves the color blue. *Benfry is the shortest human in the group and the lightest male. *Benfry has a morbid fascination with Dragons. *Benfry has a special fondness for roses. *His favoriate natural animal are snakes. *The name "Benfry" means "Blessed of the South". It is a common name in Hlondeth. Category:Humans Category:Nimbal Category:Sorcerers Category:House Lancaster Category:Alayne's Party Category:Alayne's Campaign Category:Native of the Material Plane Category:Male Characters Category:Chaotic Good Characters Category:Nobility